Generating Surprisingly Powerful Pharmacology from Chemically Induced Protein Interactions

Small molecules that induce proximity between proteins have transformed our ability to manipulate and study cellular processes. Beyond this, proximity-inducing small molecules and biologics are now a clinical reality with increasing reach over different targets and disease indications, benefiting from our rapidly expanding abilities to exploit diverse biochemical mechanisms and being powered by emerging design principles. Targeted protein degradation has become a predominant proximity-dependent therapeutic mechanism. We contend that there are many yet-unexplored pharmacologically useful mechanisms that can be triggered by chemically induced protein interactions. We discuss the general principles of proximity pharmacology and highlight two areas we believe are ripe for innovation.